Of Tea and Friends
by RAF with DWR; Edited By AND They sat at the kitchen table, two steaming coffee mugs at hand. The man stared down at the hand-made ceramic cup and cleared his throat, as if he were about to speak. The woman met his gaze and he took a drink of the herbal tea within the mug. An uncomfortable silence filled the kitchen, made louder by the cadence of a grandfather clock in the den. The woman permitted herself a slight smile when the man spoke first. “I guess you’ve seen the papers.” “I have indeed, Everett.” The tick-tock sound emanating from the den echoed throughout the kitchen as the silence returned. “Did Titan speak to you about it?” “You know as well as I that Wes is his own man, now.” Everett Smith leaned back in his chair, his Valorian-blue eyes troubled. “And?” Across from him, Raven’s tireless brown gaze met his. “And what?” she calmly prompted, her half-smile causing him to shake his head. “And how badly did I screw up?” “Well, according to Savannah, it was a disaster…or could’ve been one had your team not intervened.” “My team? They’re still kids, for cryin’ out loud!” “And who better to inspire them? You’ve been at this business longer than anyone I know. They did save the whole of New York. That is something.” The eternal mystic took a cautious slip of her tea, her ancient eyes contrasting with her youthful face as she studied the man before her. “Savannah…did I tell you how scared I was when we heard about the virus? Or how proud I was that Icon came through with the rest of them? If they need a leader, it’s gonna be her. She handled it beautifully. And I hid behind Titan’s uniform--” “I’m sure Wes understands.” “Does he? I wanted to say something to him during the moment, but I just couldn’t…” Raven paused for a moment before answering, her eyes glancing down to the steam curling from her cup. After letting the comment sit, almost like tea steep, she ventured, “You’ve known him a long time. He knows you, too. For one, I’m sure he understands that in a crisis, you do what you have to. For another, I suspect he would wish to protect you if he felt you needed it.” Her smile flickered back to light, and she added, “I image Titan would be only too proud to shelter The Praetorian. As for Wes and Everett, I believe they have simply gone too long not knowing what to say to each other. The understanding isn't gone, just the words." Valorian-blue eyes failed to meet the wise-brown gaze. "How do I fix this?" "In a word?" Raven folded her arms lightly across her abdomen. "Talk. To him, in particular." Her smile returned. “Just like that, huh?” "It would be a good first step." "You always make it sound so easy." He took a long draw from the mug. "And Icon? Do you think she's ready?" "She has it in her to be. She might be more ready with a good example to follow." He met her gaze, mirroring her half-smile with a lop-sided grin of his own. "And who would that be?" Raven arched an eyebrow, lifting her mug again to breathe in the steam. "Savannah needs her father, and you've always been that to her. But, young heroes need something a little different--mentors, role-models. If she's to feel confident taking those steps, why not help show her the way?" The silence returned as Everett got up and fetched the steaming teapot from the oven's range, carrying it barehanded back to the table. He refreshed his cup and glanced at Raven. "Well, I always did look good in purple." Raven slid her cup forward, inviting a refill. "Very striking," she agreed. Everett poured the tea and sent her a sideways glance. "Between you and my daughter, I never win. Why do I feel like you knew the outcome of this little chat before it happened?" Raven's smile did not grow so much as deepen, a light touching her eyes. "I know you, and I have come to believe in you. The rest was simply good sense. No oracle required." They sat, basking in the familiar presence of each other. The grandfather clock in the den chanted tick-tock. Outside the window, a wind-chime sang. And Everett’s gaze was no longer troubled. “You know something…this is really good tea.” He floated outside the window, just out of eyesight to those within. Nervously, he straightened his tunic, allowing the setting sun to shine upon the costume’s royal purple. Taking a deep breath, he willed himself to descend and lightly tapped on the window. He saw the confusion within and it took a moment before someone had the strength of presence to open the bulletproof glass. The Praetorian took a deep breath and smiled, mirroring a half-smile his friend had taught him earlier in the week. “Mr. President? I’m back.” Category:Fiction